Sustainable fashion and travel for the conscious woman

There are Now 6 Eco-Friendly Nail Salons in NYC Where You Can Get a Non-Toxic Manicure

If you didn’t know from just owning a nose, conventional nail salons are incredibly toxic.

The NYT Times details it here. You should really read the whole thing from top to bottom., but here are the most alarming bits:

“Big Job” employees are veterans, experts at sculpting false nails out of acrylic dust. It is the most lucrative salon job, yet many younger manicurists avoid it because of the specter of serious health issues, including miscarriages and cancer, associated with inhaling fumes and clouds of plastic particles.

Similar stories of illness and tragedy abound at nail salons across the country, of children born slow or “special,” of miscarriages and cancers, of coughs that will not go away and painful skin afflictions. The stories have become so common that older manicurists warn women of child-bearing age away from the business, with its potent brew of polishes, solvents, hardeners and glues that nail workers handle daily.

A growing body of medical research shows a link between the chemicals that make nail and beauty products useful — the ingredients that make them chip-resistant and pliable, quick to dry and brightly colored, for example — and serious health problems.

It’s been clear to me for years that nail salons are a hotbox for carcinogenic and toxic fumes from nail polish remover, nail polishes, and acrylic dust. Plus, the UV lights they use to dry your nails are also linked to cancer. Perhaps you and I don’t work there, but after knowing this information, it seems unconscionable to continue frequenting salons that subject their workers to such toxic conditions. Not only do acrylic nails look trashy, they’re also cruel.

After this article came out, New York State included some provisions in its emergency measures to address toxins. Workers will have to wear respirators when sculpting acrylic nails, wear protective goggles when pouring nail polish remover from large tubs into small containers, and wear special gloves when applying conventional nail polish that contains dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde.

Such a cute little band-aid, right?

I’m not going to judge you for wanting a manicure every once in a while. I personally love manicures. They’re the only thing that keep me from ripping my nails to unsightly shreds. (Oh look, just caught myself doing it now.) So if you’re like me and need/want some professional love for your nails, here’s where you go in NYC:

This planted filled haven is a cozy respite from the gritty downtown scene.The warm wood furniture was created by Recycled Brooklyn, and the thicket of green foliage leaves the air smelling like … nothing, in fact. Which is so nice when most salons smell like cancer. In terms of polish, you’ll find Essie and Zoya, and can also request Jinsoon if you prefer. The best part of Hortus, though, is in their locally handmade lotions, oils, and cult favorite cuticle oil (in lieu of mineral oil, which is a petroleum product) all created especially for the salon by the friend of owner. When you’re done, you’ll get a few drying drops and put your hands under fans instead of the usual cancer-causing UV lamps.

Opening its first location in 2017, this oasis carries just its own brand of 10-free, vegan nail polish in every color you could want. The design is all Danish/Scandinavian, with blonde wood, putty pink leather chaise chairs, and soothing indie music. At the Flatiron location, there’s an upstairs balcony that you can rent out for private events that looks down over the stations, which come with venting systems to blow the smell away from you. Your manicure will come with housemade organic lotion, plus a soak in floral sea salt water. At the new Hudson Yards location, put on a Bluetooth headset, close your eyes, and listen to a soothing meditation custom made for sundays.

This is my favorite non-toxic nail salon. Maybe just because it’s in my neighborhood in Williamsburg, but it embodies all the traits of my dream salon: fresh and airy, a wide array of non-toxic nail polishes, skilled employees, and pretty decor. Read my entire review of PH7.

Four locations in SoHo, TriBeCa, Midtown, and Financial District | Quickie Manicure $15

Both a nail polish brand and a set of nail salons, this brand is NYC-chic. The SoHo location, which is the only one I’ve visited as of yet, has an outdoor patio for manicures en plein air, and carries both the house brand and other non-toxic polishes.

This girly salon will make you feel like a pretty, pretty princess. It has nothing but non-toxic manicures and pedicures with Zoya nail polish while you relax in the shabby chic overstuffed chairs. Read my review of Sweet Lily Nail Spa.

This Upper East Side salon has a great reputation for lovely manicures and fantastic nail art. They offer a special all non-toxic manicure, including the products like lotion and nail polish remover. They specialize in Calgel, which is supposedly a much healthier alternative to acrylic that lets your nails breathe. I have been digging to find the ingredients in Calgel, but I have been unable to come up with anything concrete, beyond they don’t smell as bad, which may indicate fewer toxins, and they are a gel instead of plastic dust, the latter of which causes serious respiratory ailments when breathed in. Regardless, if you decide to go this route, bring sunscreen with you to apply to your hands before they put them under the UV light.